Mary Lambert: Body Art

In our Body Issue of Curve we talk to Mary Lambert about life, 'same love', her relationship with femininity and her book '500 Tips for Fat Girls'.

By By Kristen Youngs

Published: 2014.03.10 08:35 PM

Curve April/May 2014.
For more images and the extended interview subscribe to Curve.

After performing with Macklemore, Jennifer Hudson and Madonna at the Grammy's, Mary Lambert has emerged as an artist with social impact at the core of her work. She is on the rise as a breakout solo artist, and is making a name for herself in a hugely competitive industry. Identifying her greatest strengths as singing and crying, the openly gay feminist is honest and up-front about everything—from love to body image to sexual abuse.

When it comes to spilling her heart and soul to thousands of complete strangers, Mary is no rookie. The singer, songwriter, and spoken word artist has a knack for digging deep and bringing forth the most vulnerable of topics, and arenas full of listeners have no choice but to let her powerful emotions wash over them. Mary's relationship with femininity, her body, and self-doubt intertwine with her vocals to wrench your gut while somehow embracing you warmly.

When do you first remember feeling the pressure of having to maintain a certain body image? How has that changed since you’ve become more famous?

When I was 9. That wasn’t the first time that I cried about my body, but it was the first time that I realized I was bigger than everybody else. God, that sucked. I lost a bunch of weight when I was dancing in high school, and then gained it all back. I hated myself and tried to commit suicide for several reasons. I was miserable. I wrote “Bodylove” and then I went through a series of healing years. Now I’m in the public light. I feel like people have really embraced me as a plus-size girl, as an advocate for gay rights, and for talking about body image. I feel so accepted and loved by all communities. I’ve never felt better about my body. I feel more beautiful than I ever have before. It’s amazing.